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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. press — a publisher
  4. object — a thing
  5. object — to protest
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — wild animals
  8. rush — hurry
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. stand — to bear
  11. object — an aim
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. game — a match
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. fan — a supporter

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com